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Michigan Against Solitary Confinement Summit, January 11, 2025
FoRJ members Carolyn Madden, Kathie Gourlay, and Meta Mendel-Reyes demonstrated restorative justice with audience role-play during the Michigan Against Solitary Confinement Summit; reported by The Michigan Daily, January 12, 2025. Several other VAAC members were also in attendance. Thank you to all who made this event possible! The post Michigan Institute for Progressive Policy hosts…
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MI-CEMI 2023-2024 Legislative Lookback
The 2023-2024 legislative season has closed. While the final days of this cycle were marked by chaos and conflict, advocates like you did help get several important pieces of legislation across the finish line, including: Establishing a bipartisan sentencing commission (HB4173, HB 4384): Michigan’s sentencing guidelines have no basis in evidence when it comes to…
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Police Contacts Down, Violence and Racial Disparities Remain
Reporting by the Prison Policy Initiative and the Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that fewer people face interactions with the police than in past years. Additionally, only about half of calls to the police are related to possible crimes—and only about 4% are related to violent crimes—suggesting that these calls would be better handled by…
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Prison Policy Initiative: Criminal legal system reforms for 2025
Prison Policy Initiative released a new report that outlines a number of criminal legal system reforms that should be considered in the coming year. The 34 reforms focus on eight areas: Expanding alternatives to criminal legal system responses to social problems; Protecting the presumption of innocence so people receive a fair shot at justice; Decreasing…
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Prison Policy Initiative: The Humanization Project
People who go through the criminal legal system often feel as if their humanity is being ignored. These feelings are more than justified. Dehumanization is not simply a side effect of incarceration: it is intentional and has been a part of prisons in the United States since the first brick was laid. Prisons in early…
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Testimony Supporting Michigan Pretrial Reform Legislation Package
On November 12, 2024, the House Criminal Justice Standing Committee heard testimony on a package of bills to advance pretrial reform in Michigan. Safe & Just Michigan Executive Director John S. Cooper provided written testimony and stated: “The pending bill package would eliminate cash bail in many low-level, non-violent cases while leaving the existing system…
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Join Us in the Fight for Commonsense Police Accountability
Four years after the tragic deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and too many others, Michigan is still waiting for meaningful police reform. Despite strong bipartisan support and well-crafted proposals refined through extensive outreach to law enforcement and community groups, no substantial legislative action has occurred. With time running out in this legislative session, we…
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Safe & Just Michigan Fall 2024 Newsletter Released!
Safe & Just Michigan sends this quarterly newsletter to over 600 incarcerated readers at the Michigan Department of Corrections. The newsletter reports on policy updates, outreach and educational activities. It informs readers of the valuable work that continues to be done in our communities to support meaningful change in policies and public opinion related to…
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A bustling year at Prison Policy Initiative
Prison Policy Initiative has been busy during the past year, sharing research, reports, and other information about the nationwide problems related to mass incarceration. The highlights below are from an article originally published by Prison Policy Initiative as “Highlights from a bustling year at Prison Policy Initiative,” authored by Danielle Squillante. We wrapped up another…
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New, expanded data on Indian country jails show concerning trends extend to tribal lands
This article was originally published by Prison Policy Initiative as “New, expanded data on Indian country jails show concerning trends extend to tribal lands,” authored by Emily Widra. Native people are consistently overrepresented in the criminal legal system, accounting for only 1% of the total U.S. population but 3% of the incarcerated population.1 More specifically,…
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Inside Voices – September 2024
Harsh sentences lead to ‘death by incarceration’ The post Inside Voices – September 2024 appeared first on Safe & Just Michigan. Over the last 40 years, Michigan has slowly but undeniably adopted “Death by Incarceration” (DBI), for prisoners serving life sentences. Prior to the sentencing reforms that began in the ’80s, lifers were in one…
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Candidates for office use jail and prison as “one size fits all” policy solutions. Here’s how to push back
This article was originally published by Prison Policy Initiative as “Candidates for office use jail and prison as “one size fits all” policy solutions. Here’s how to push back,” authored by Wanda Bertram. Whether on the presidential debate stage or in races for governor, state legislatures, or city councils, candidates for elected office are falling…
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